The branch that we tried was the one in Mandaluyong. Not a lot of parking space available. I think they only had about two slots with the other one shared with their delivery motorcycles. What I liked about the place is that they have solo stall if you're dining solo, and these stalls have partitions so you can eat in peace without worrying about your personal space being invaded by the next person.

Service was relatively fast since it was just us and another couple who was dining at the time. But even in the wee hours of 5:30AM, the place already looked busy and most of the staff were just moving around doing something.

We ordered Beef Pares (P148.00) and Beef Tendon Pares (P158.00). I love Tendon because it's like fat but they say it's collagen so it's essentially good for you, lol. I don't really have a study to back that up but I eat a lot of tendon and bone marrow because I love the consistency and flavor. Okay so first blush, I wonder when the surge of Pares culture started happening because when it did, the prices wouldn't go below P100--which is insane in my standards. I mean a meal for about P150, what am I having really?

Not to say Goto Tendon isn't good, it is good. Better than Pares Retiro which is another joint that's really popular for their Pares albeit more expensive. But for both my question is, are they really worth that much? I know Pares is quite tedious to make but I've had better Pares in roadside Carinderia's for like P30-P50. Other than that I don't have any other comment. It's good but not the kind of good that would make me put it on top of my list. 

GOTO TENDON

Budget : P400 for 2 people

Open daily : 11AM - 3AM

Maysilo Circle, Plainview, Mandaluyong City

For a couple of weeks now, I have been craving for Indian food and torn between actually giving in to this craving or prioritizing my diet lol. I'm trying to eat healthier but we all know Indian food isn't just complete without rice so I had to hold it up on the rice. I did find an alternative but I'll be talking about that on a different blog. For now I'd like to talk about this hole in the wall I discovered a couple of weeks back. 

So, since the guy I'm dating hails from Bulacan, I often find myself scouring the streets of Malolos for my next food adventure. I'm also surprised at how budget-friendly most of the restaurants are, say, a Samgyeupsal place offers both Korean Bbq + Shabu Shabu for only P299! That's how crazy the prices can go. Anyway, we all know Indian food can be a bit on the pricier side so I was ecstatic when I discovered Biryani House Malolos. 

I've been making my own Biryani at home but I wanted a restaurant-made feast because I didn't know if my recipe was closer to the original. I got Butter Chicken (P219), Chicken Biryani (P199), Yogurt Shake aka Lass (P129), Butter Roti (P39) and Cheese Paratha (P119). My order roughly reached about P7700+ and I think it's not bad given I got so many things! I also just want to say I get why Indian food is expensive here in the Philippines because of all the spices involved in making the dishes which is why I appreciate it when I get authentic food for a fraction of the price. 

The Chicken Biryani was good and the serving as good for about 2-3 people but I almost consumed it all. I had a little for take out but you get how good it was because I really could've consumed it all. It was served with Raita and spicy tomato puree (I dont know what it's called) on the side. Next is the Butter Chicken, the serving was sufficient but for P219 I was expecting a bit more. I also dipped my Butter Roti and Cheese Paratha on the Butter Chicken sauce and bam, divine! The flavors were combined so well I just wanted to eat everything.  

Would I go back? Definitely! Yes the heat could be off-putting since Indian food can also get pretty hot which is why I was sweating buckets, but nothing can stop me from getting good food with really awesome price tags. If you're around the area and craving for Indian/Arabic/Pakistani food, go ahead and check them out!

BIRYANI HOUSE

Budget : 400 for 2 people

Call : 0977 777 4017 for reservations

Caltex Gas Station Blas Ople Diversion Rd, Malolos, Bulacan

Located along the shores of Station 1, Nalka is a seafood restaurant that offers unlimited ala carte dishes. It's a fairly new offering that's why not a lot of people know about it yet. The restaurant is conveniently placed beside Muse Hotel; they also have a bakery downstairs. The restaurant conveniently seats small and big groups alike due to the outline of the upstairs area. There's also a perfect spot where the it's breezy and you can enjoy a beautiful view of the sunset. 

I've already mentioned it before, the food was awesome. Everything came in small ala carte dishes which I think are perfect because it's just the right amount to have a taste of the dish. I honestly loved the fact that the serving is right for just one person because there are dishes that I only wanted to try a little of and the serving size was perfect. Can I also just say even if it's an all-you-can-eat buffet, the food is so fresh! Everytime they're serve me a new plate, it looks and tastes like it had just been cooked. 

Aside from the stunning view of the sunset, the area where we were seated was very breezy and I didn't mind if on certain times of the day the rays of the sun was hitting is because i love the golden hour glow on my skin. My personal favorites were the tinolang tahong, squid in olive oil and kilawin na yellowin tuna. But really though, everything was just so good I only put the ranking in case you're thinking of prioritizing which dish to try, hehe. 

Would I come back? Definitely! As I grow older, I realized I don't fancy the bikini photo ops anymore lol. Aside from the humongous weight gain after quitting smoking, I've also realized I enjoy vacations more when I don't eat coffee and air for breakfast lol. I may be fitter in the next coming years but for now and while I can, I think I'll spend my vacation days looking for restaurants like Nalka. 

NALKA SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Budget : P1500 for 2 people

Open daily : 10AM - 9PM

The Muse Hotel, Station 1, Baranggay Balabag, Malay, Aklan